Is a tractor worth it???

[Okie4570]

From what you described I wouldn't use anything less than a 50-60hp. It doesn't take much of a tree or Boulder to weigh bunches and bunches. I have a 30hp with bucket and all that, it's great but I also have a 90hp and a 210hp with buckets/Spears I can borrow also.

 

[tynyphil]

Pallet forks are a must in my opinion. I use my loader more...but the forks get a workout.

There's a couple of great YouTube channels with tons of information:

Ask Tractor Mike
Tractor Time With Tim

Yes!! However if you have a smaller tractor don’t forget a counter weight. I built my own with a 3-point carry all loaded with 6-80lb redimiix bags of concrete. I learned NEVER use the pallet forks without it

 

[OkieJoe72]

I’m going to look at one today. It’s a Ford 1210 so their compact line. It’s got a loader, brush hog, grader, and a scoop all for around 5k probably. He said the battery was stolen but it ran just fine as of about 6 months ago.

The biggest thing is the small jobs. Like loading the trees from the creek and moving small boulders. A skid steer is overkill, but otherwise it’s wrapping a chain round each one and pulling them with my truck. I tried my ATV but it didn’t budge either the trees or the rocks.

I feel like I could use it a ton but I don’t have enough property to justify dropping 10-12k especially because I wouldn’t be able to make money off it.

After reading through the posts, I agree with what most have said. I’m pretty sure that you won’t be happy with that size of tractor. Another thing that wasn’t mentioned about the older ford tractors is the availability of parts when needed. Parts can be difficult to find for them. If it were me, I’d look at financing a new one, and I’d shop for either a John Deere or Kubota. They both have some pretty good deals at times. At a minimum, I would look at a 25 HP and 4 wheel drive. Obviously, the more horsepower the better, but you can do a lot with that size of tractor. I’m pretty sure that you could finance one for around $200 per month, but I haven’t looked lately.

 

[cowadle]

get on auctiontime.com and navigate to the auction results. check the selling results for tractors in your hp range to get an idea of worth.

 

[retrieverman]

I’ve owned 8 tractors (7 bought used), and my go-to place for used tractors is Craigslist and FB marketplace.

I‘ve seen a few posts touting the usefulness of pallet forks, but I will never own a tractor without a grapple and have found that 70hp is optimal for my uses.

 

[tynyphil]

I’ve owned 8 tractors (7 bought used), and my go-to place for used tractors is Craigslist and FB marketplace.

I‘ve seen a few posts touting the usefulness of pallet forks, but I will never own a tractor without a grapple and have found that 70hp is optimal for my uses.
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Mine is only 21HP with the hydrostatic transmission (a big plus) Only a couple of times have I wished for a little more HP that was usually when using the forks as it tops out at about 700lb.

 

[SoonerP226]

I have a 4WD Ford 1910, which is a few size classes above a 1210, but still a compact tractor. The 770A lift on it has a tremendous amount of lifting power, but it doesn’t bring enough arse to the game—the loader can pull the back end off the ground, which is a neat party trick, but that’s about it. F’rinstance, my dad strapped a 5x6 round bale to the bucket, and it could get it just off the ground, but it would also pull the rear tires off the ground, so it wasn’t going anywhere.

The 1910 is great for maintaining a driveway and for doing light cleanup around the property, but that 1210 is probably not going to get the job done for you. It’s basically a heavily built lawn mower.

 

[cowadle]

I’ve owned 8 tractors (7 bought used), and my go-to place for used tractors is Craigslist and FB marketplace.

I‘ve seen a few posts touting the usefulness of pallet forks, but I will never own a tractor without a grapple and have found that 70hp is optimal for my uses.
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i have a kubota mx5100 50 hp . it won't lift a ton on the front loader and the rear gets real tippy with a round bale on the front even with the rear tires filled with ballast. i need to add some wheel weights i guess.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

If I'm lifting anything substantial and need ballast I throw the box blade on the back. If it's really heavy I'll use the brush hog if space isn't an issue.

I need to get some RimGuard in my tires.

 

[tynyphil]

If I'm lifting anything substantial and need ballast I throw the box blade on the back. If it's really heavy I'll use the brush hog if space isn't an issue.

I need to get some RimGuard in my tires.

Yeah I will do that too but the counter weight I built is not as long as having the brush hog back there. Also I built a box on top of the counter weights that will hold a chainsaw and supplies as well as a 40 gallon 12v sprayer I can hook into tractor wiring for power and use as a mobile ‘fire engine’ when burning brush etc.